The truth is we don't like criticism. But the greater truth is flawless performances are only those that are tempered by the cutting edge of criticism. As Sir Winston Churchill says, "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Yes, criticism does help in keeping things on track toward perfection, and in a workplace it can be a key element in boosting productivity. But if not done in an effective way, criticism may also harm the employees' morale. It may annoy them, instead of improving their work.
In an organization, it's the managers who are vested with the responsibility for giving criticism and feedback to employees. Hence, they should know the simple etiquette while criticizing a peer's work. As a professional, they should seek to speak in a manner that will provide optimal benefit to everyone involved. Here are a few suggestions that can be helpful in giving astute and insightful criticism.
1. A Constructive Criticism: Constructive is the word that should always be connected with criticism. Part of figuring out how to criticize a peer's work is learning how to frame criticisms in a way that is constructive, to deliver such words in a positive tone. Instead of crudely pointing out the mistakes, an open-ended question can be put. For instance, phrases like "Your idea is good, but what if you try this instead?" can be more effective. It's very important to choose words that are not provocative, so that the criticism nourishes the person's growth without destroying his roots
2. Criticize The Behavior Not The Individual: An employee with consistently outstanding performance may also show signs of disconnect. He or she may also develop a habit of tardiness and can go through a slow spell. In such a situation, the company must take some action to turn that around. But taking action doesn't necessarily mean criticizing the employee or even terminating the employee based on the tardiness alone. What is more sensible and in line with the company's best interest is to discuss the lateness with the employee and attempt to work on another arrangement.
3. Criticize, But Sandwiching It Between Positive Strokes: Sandwiching means to deliver information that could be regarded as unpleasant between two positive notes in order to reduce the negative impact. Here, a manager can open a conversation offering a compliment on the project. After that he or she can switch to the critique using an appropriate transition like "however", "but" or "although", and at the end closing the conversation with an affirmation of an overall job well done. It shows the employee that he or she is valuable to the company.
4. Don't Compare Anyone With Others: Never compare with others while criticizing as it can hurt one's self-respect. It's very vital to state the feedback or the criticism without threatening the self-respect of the person. If the feedback gets personal at some level, it will lead to into a sub-debate that will be counter-productive. Emphasis should be on one's strengths, rather than finding his weaknesses compared to others.
5. It Must Be Direct And Two-Way: As the message itself, the delivery of the message also matters a lot. If the feedback is delivered through e-mail, or in a simple document left on an employee's desk, chances are there that it will be set aside or even deleted. Therefore, while giving a feedback or criticizing someone, the manager should make sure that the conversation is direct and two-way. The employee should be given enough opportunity to lay sown his or thought.
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